01<@Ardweden> [Day: Tuesday/Wednesday, September 14/15. Time: Midnight.] 01<@Ardweden> [Joan and Kali awaken in the Haven. It's the Haven! Exciting. It looks like it usually does, complete with a cat-maybe-in-hat.] 01<@Ardweden> [Session Start!] 06* Kali walks out from behind a pillar in the Haven and looks around to make sure Joan made it and that the hat is there. 06* Joan is there, surprisingly enough. She looks like she usually does, possibly holding the hat. 06* Joan looks to Kali, still holding the hat. "So? Where do we start?" 06* Kali looks Joan over for a moment, eyes drifting to the hat, then frowns, looking back at Joan, shifting her weight on her hips. "It's kind of hard to be pissed at the cat with you holding the hat like that..." 06* Joan grins. "Why would be mad at Monsieur Cat? 'E is so charming." 06* Kali looks Joan over to see if she's joking. Then gets a bit of a pout. Or tries to. It ends up looking more like a scowl on Kali. "Dammit. I've had a rough day. I deserve to be pissed." 06* Joan shrugs and tosses the hat over. "You realize speaking to 'im will just make you more upset, non?" 06* Kali catches the hat, then turns her gaze back to Joan. "He has answers. Whether he wants to give them up or not." She looks down at the hat. "I know you're in there, listening in. You can speak up any time now." 06* Joan gigg-- CHUCKLES. Joan chuckles. 01<@Ardweden> [She totally giggled.] 06* Joan did not :< 01<@Ardweden> [She did! She did it!] 01<@Ardweden> [Also, silence from the hat.] 06* Kali drops the hat on the ground and draws her sword, pointing it at the hat. "I *said* come out." She gazes down at the hat. 01<@Ardweden> [Silence, then a reluctant, "Well, that's not very sporting of you, now is it. You don't see me waving a weapon in your face."] 01<@Ardweden> [Also, no cat from the hat yet.] I don't see you at all. And forgive me, but I'm not *feeling* very sporting today. Please, monsieur Walruscat, a moment of your time? 06* Kali hasn't sheathed the sword. 01<@Ardweden> [The hat scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course you can see me. But if you desire it *so* badly..." The purple housecat uncurls from under the hat and straightens on his toes, before standing on his hind legs and brushing the hat off. "I do warn you," he says quite calmly, "I do not take being threatened lightly."] 06* Kali sheathes her sword, staring daggers at the cat. "You told my friends that I was "alright" in a goddamned dream that was collapsing. I'd hardly call that alright." 01<@Ardweden> [Once again, the cat scoffs. "I did no such thing. I told them that you likely woke up. Which is what happens when the Raven does his work, at least 99.9 percent of the time."] 06* Kali stares at the cat for a moment, losing the daggers for incredulousness. "I..." She frowns. 01<@Ardweden> ["Now." He turns to Joan, removing his hat and bowing with a flourish. "Madame Joan of Arc, how may I be of assistance?"] 06* Joan looks to Kali. "My apologies. I never considered..." She shakes her head, then looks to the Walruscat. "After we saved Tony, zere was... an indication of zomething else zere. 'Ave you any ideas?" 06* Kali folds her arms across her, her upper arms tight in defiance, her lower arms in nervousness and turns her head to the side, mumbling out a "Sorry." 01<@Ardweden> ["Hm, well." The Walrus taps his chin, using his other paw to hold his cane (where did that come from?). "Depends on what it was."] If we knew what it was, we would 'ave no need to ask. 06* Kali frowns and gets back into the conversation, her eyes losing their earlier vitrol. "Well...we think there might have been two of them." She glances at Joan. "Each of us saw one..." 06* Joan nods. I know one told me to run just before...*arms go back around her again and she shivers* just before the dream collapsed... 01<@Ardweden> [The Walrus waltzes over to the throne and jumps up, making himself comfy. "What'd it look like?"] 06* Joan walks up and takes a seat on the other throne next to that one. The one that appeared just now. "Like a grinning, shapeless black mass." 06* Kali walks slowly towards the cat, her arms relaxing again. "All black...kind of a cloaked figure...hooded...only when you tried to look directly at it, it wasn't there. You could only notice it out of the corner of your mind's eye." The one I saw was either watching the dreamer. Or his dream father. I couldn't quite tell. And ze one I saw Was ze father. After... erm... I... cut off 'is 'ead." She says the last part quietly. 01<@Ardweden> [He nods slowly, thinking. "Well... the one *you* are referring to," he points at Joan, "is probably the Raven. Or a reflection of the Raven."] 06* Joan blinks a few times. "Er... What?" 01<@Ardweden> ["It often happens after he enters a dream - you broke the fabric enough for him to take control, and well." He shrugs. "He tends to have a flair for the DRAMATIC." At this, the Walrus swirls his cloak. Where did *that* come from?] "Wait, 'e took control? 'E melted ze dream and trapped Kali inside?" 01<@Ardweden> [The cat chuckles. "I don't know if trapped is a good word for it, given she could have left any time she wanted to."] She didn't know that. 01<@Ardweden> [He fluffs his feather. "Of all things, I am glad your memories are not my responsibility."] 06* Kali frowns then growls at the cat. "It's not a matter of memory, you bastard. We still don't know how this works. What if we try to wake up in the wrong place and something goes wrong? You haven't told us if *that's* a possibility or not!" 06* Kali folds her arms. "No one's told us hardly anything at all. And you expect us to save people? Give me a break!" 01<@Ardweden> ["*I* didn't tell you," the Walrus continues calmly, "*She* would not have let you walk without telling you that you could wake whenever you wanted. She's quite the stickler for those things."] 01<@Ardweden> ["Although, I think I did remind you." He taps his chin with his claw. "Yes. Yes, I did."] 01<@Ardweden> ["So you can take your anger and place it somewhere it *does* belong." And the cat hops off the throne, heading for the door.] 06* Kali sighs and rubs her head. "I don't know how much you actually know and how much you can just find out. So you're saying if we're in the middle of being torn apart, we can just wake up?" 06* Kali frowns at the cat leaving. "Wait. Come back. I didn't..." She sighs again. "Sorry. It's just...I'm frustrated is all." 01<@Ardweden> [The Walrus rolls his eyes. "Obviously. Although I would advise waking before the aforementioned tearing."] Wait a moment! You 'aven't told us about ze other figure. 06* Kali folds her legs and sits on the floor of the Haven. 01<@Ardweden> [He turns to look at Kali and Joan. "Perhaps if one of you could stop acting like such a child."] You zink I was acting like a child? My apologies, monsieur Walruscat. 06* Kali frowns. "He means me, you doofus." 06* Joan looks to Kali, grinning a bit. "Well zhen, only one of us would be acting like a child, non?" 06* Kali sighs. "But I *am* a child. A child given an adult responsibility. Joan can tell you that." 01<@Ardweden> ["If you can't deal with your responsibilities, give it up. No one can force you to walk."] 06* Kali frowns. "I can't." 06* Kali closes her eyes softly. "I just...can't." 01<@Ardweden> ["Won't," the cat says, leaning against the door.] 06* Joan glances from Kali to the 'Cat. "Well, I will. Sure you can talk to me zhen, non?" 06* Kali keeps her frown, opening her eyes. "What? I can't quit now..." 01<@Ardweden> [The Walrus sighs, clearly put upon. "Very well, I will do you yet another favor - you will do well to remember this, yes?"] 06* Kali bites her lip but says nothing. 06* Joan frowns, folding her arms. "Monsieur Walruscat, I 'ad always thought of us as friends, at least of a sort."] 01<@Ardweden> ["The *other* creature that you described, my dear Kali, sounds like an outsider."] 06* Kali sighs. "You may as well use my waking name. I'm acting more like her than Kali right now." 01<@Ardweden> ["And I believe have been nothing but friendly," he continues with a bit of a huff, "or at least what I consider passes as friendship among yourselves, but some of you *do* like to make it difficult. I will only extend my goodwill so far."] 06* Kali cradles her knees. "You're right..." I underztand zat, but begin to make it sound like more of a business association. You must remember we are less learned zan you in zis place. 01<@Ardweden> [He holds up a paw. "Only so much can be told." This is followed by a toothish smile. "Trust me, when I try to tell *everything*, it never works out as well as planned. Some of it just has to be learned - experienced."] 01<@Ardweden> ["You should try it, by the way. Waking up deliberately."] 06* Kali looks at the Cat for a moment. "Who do you think this outsider might be? It didn't show up until later. After we'd already been at the dream the night before...for whatever passes for time in this place." 01<@Ardweden> ["A shadow in the corner of the mind's eye, hmm..." He chin scritches. "I suppooooooose I could tell you who I think it is."] Zat would 'elp. 01<@Ardweden> ["Scathach, would be my educated guess. And my guesses are rarely wrong."] 06* Joan tilts her head. "Who?" 01<@Ardweden> ["Scathach, The Shadowy One, about as tall as Kali over there and equally harsh." He beams. "They could practically be sisters!"] Why would she do zis? 01<@Ardweden> [The cat shrugs. "Well, if your friend is to be believed, she was watching the dream. Perhaps she was also watching you."] Watching? She did not cause it, zhen? 06* Kali chuckles. "Thanks." She frowns. "I'm afraid I don't know who that is either. But it does give us something to go on, maybe." She sighs. "This is getting more and more complicated..." 06* Kali rubs her face. "Phobetor, this Scathach, the sisters at the Fringe, you, Toci Puck and Robin....just how many factions have a stake in this anyway?" 01<@Ardweden> [The Walrus chuckles. "Trust me, it is not in Scathach's power to bring about a dream. Just as it is not in your power to bring about a nightmare. You may be a catalyst, but in the end... someone far more powerful must take over, or it will all be for nothing."] And why are zey all mythical figures? Well...aren't we mythical figures too? 01<@Ardweden> [He doesn't answer, seeming content to let the two of you figure that one out.] Not me, Joan of Arc was a real person. Yes, but I'm pretty sure the real Joan of Arc didn't have a glowing sword and eyes. 06* Kali frowns. "Thank you, Cat...err...Walrus. I'm...I'm really sorry about earlier." 06* Joan shrugs. "She also wasn't blond of have big..." Joan stops herself pointedly, and coughs, turning to the Walrus. "Anyhow! 'Ave you any idea where we can find zis Scathach person?" 01<@Ardweden> [He smiles. "I doubt she's around all the time... but I'm sure she'll turn up. Sooner or later. And it's quite all right, Kali; I accept your apology."] 01<@Ardweden> ["Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." And he hoists himself up and into the hat, letting it fall to the ground right in front of the door. Like an over-plumed welcome hat.] 06* Joan stares. "Zat was abrupt." 06* Kali nods and sighs a little bit as she gets up, unsteadily, to her feet. "I..." she looks off to the side, ashamed, then back at Joan. "Thanks, Hank." For what? For being here. 06* Kali frowns. "I...well, I get the feeling that too many people think I know what I'm doing..." 06* Joan nods. "Sometimes I feel ze same." 06* Kali grins shyly. It looks weirder on Kali than it would on Tiffany. "Well. I guess with all of us knowing just a bit of what we're doing together, we might actually get something done then?" 06* Joan nods. "I do not know what, though." 06* Kali sighs. "Yeah. Which is why I'm kind of questioning everything." She looks at the hat. "Though...at least so far...I don't think the Cat's actively trying to lie to us..." She sighs again. "I just wish I knew what it all meant." 06* Joan nods. "I don't zink 'e would lie. Though I begin to wonder if 'e expects somezing from us in return." 06* Kali smirks. "Oh, I suspected that from the beginning. Especially now that we know he's not in league with the Raven." Least not directly. 06* Joan nods. "As I said before, we ask 'elp from 'im a lot. Maybe too much. And 'e's not wrong, some zings we're better off learning on our own." 06* Kali frowns. "Yeah. But I'd like to at least know who has the chance of killing me in my sleep. Literally." 06* Kali sighs and closes her eyes. "I've been really off for the last couple of days, haven't I?" I zink we all 'ave. Yeah. Even Tyler's been hanging out with us. What the fuck's up with *that*? As I keep saying, not at my behest. I know. I know. Um... 03* Ardweden is now known as Ardle 06* Kali tilts her head to the side and looks at Joan for a moment. "Hank?" Oui? 06* Kali rubs her head. "That accent takes some getting used to..." She sighs and steels herself, looking straight at Joan. "Christina likes you, you know." 06* Joan pauses. "Your friend from ze pizza place, non?" 06* Kali rubs her head again. "Yeah. And so help me. If you hurt her, I'll kick your ass." Why would I? Is she some sort of bully? 06* Kali blinks and stares at him/her. "What? I..." She frowns. "You really think I'm friends with bullies, don't you?" Aren't you? You seem set on befriending Tyler. 06* Kali stares more. "What? No I'm not. I think he's more of an asshole than any of you!" 06* Joan shrugs. He hates my guts, he hates my life, he wants to make me miserable. Why would I want to be friends with that jackass? I wonder ze same zing. But regardless, I do not care about Tyler. And I doubt your friend is a bully, she does not seem ze type. 06* Kali frowns. "I don't, okay. But I'm not him. I'm not going to wish him dead or anything." She sighs. "Besides, when just about the whole school's against you, a little twerp like Tyler doesn't stand out much." You 'ave friends, you know. 06* Kali frowns and turns away from Joan. "You're...uh...honestly, you're just about the first friends that stood up for me. After Christina I mean...and..." She stops herself and keeps looking away. 06* Joan chuckles. "And you yell at me every time I do. But I do it any'ow." 06* Kali frowns and doesn't look directly at Joan. "Not every time..." Most of ze time, zhen. 06* Kali doesn't respond to that. 06* Joan shakes her head. "Sorry. Sometimes I feel like I am a different person when I'm Joan." 06* Kali says, rather quietly, still not looking. "Same here." 06* Joan looks at a gauntleted hand, flexing her fingers. "Though I can't say it is an unpleasant feeling. 06* Kali turns back to look at Joan. "Just...watch your back, okay? A little twerp like Tyler's going to back off probably. Not everyone's going to just take it." 02* Javy (capfox@dsl-67-230-152-150.tor.primus.ca) Quit (Quit: If I could see all my friends tonight... ) 06* Joan nods. "I'm aware. But I can't just sit back either. All I can do is try to my best and hope I win ze fight." 06* Kali starts to disappear as she wakes up. 06* Joan ... does too, I guess >.>